ANT KATZ with UWI

The US thereby allowed the resolution to condemn Jewish settlements and construction in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria as a “flagrant violation” of international law to pass in the Security Council on Friday.

This was a huge break from the traditional US policy of casting a veto to support Israel. US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power abstained, allowing the Council to approve the resolution in a 14-0 vote. The significance of a Security Council resolution, as against one by the UN General Assembly, is that the Security Council in empowered to use force if necessary to enforce a resolution.

RIGHT: A typical ‘settlement’ with the initial sections occupied and more under construction

The resolution’s wording states, inter alia, that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, “occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem”, have “no legal validity”. It demands a halt to “all Israeli settlement activities”, calling them “essential for salvaging the two-state solution”.

The sections of the City of Jerusalem not within the 1948 “Green Line” – and the region of Judea and Samaria, as well as the Golan Heights and Sinai, were captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War, when the Jewish state was under attack by the surrounding Arab nations, determined to exterminate it.

Trump slams anti-Israel resolution

The UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements, originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was postponed following intervention by US President-elect Donald Trump.

“The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed,” Trump wrote on his Facebook page. “This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.”

“As to the UN, things will be different after January 20,” Trump tweeted after the vote took place on Friday.

“Today’s vote is a blow to peace that sets a dangerous precedent for further diplomatic efforts to isolate and demonise Israel. Our unified Republican government will work to reverse the damage done by this administration, and rebuild our alliance with Israel,” lawmaker and House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement.

Senator John McCain said Obama’s abstention “has made us complicit in this outrageous attack” and added the abstention “emboldens” Israel’s enemies.

Netanyahu blasts Obama administration

“Israel categorically rejects the despicable anti-Israeli resolution at the UN, and will not adhere to it,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declared.

Netanyahu continued that “while the Security Council does nothing to prevent the massacre of half a million people in Syria, it is shamefully singling out Israel – the only democracy in the Middle East. The Obama administration not only failed to defend Israel from this harassment at the UN, it co-operated with it behind the scenes.”

Another Israeli minister, Yuval Steinitz, had this to say: “The United States abandoned Israel, its only ally in the Middle East,” he told Channel 2 News. “The heartaches that after eight years of friendship… and co-operation with Obama, this is his final chord…” before leaving office, Steinitz said.

Member of Knesset (MK) Yoav Kisch said the outgoing president has “betrayed Israel”, and other allies by this action.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad celebrate anti-Israel vote

This was a “big blow” to Israeli policy said Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman, welcoming the vote.

Palestinian terrorist organisations Hamas and Islamic Jihad celebrated the anti-Israel vote, with Hamas saying it marks an “important evolution”.